The present invention resides in the field of metal fascia dimensioned and configured to overlie the roof edge of a built-up or flat roof. The apparatus may be described as a base plate having a shorter portion for lying atop the roof edge and a longer portion at right angles to the first portion for overlying the upper sidewall and being attached thereto by the use of threaded fasteners through a series of holes perforating the longer portion. A cover fascia plate is attached to flanges at the upper and lower portions of the base plate and held at tension upward and outward from the base plate by a spring clip uniquely positioned between the base plate and the fascia cover.
Large rubber membranes and the like are commonly used for covering a roof such as a flat roof. The membrane is laid over the surface of the roof and secured in place by adhesive and/or mechanical fastening means. A number of prior mechanisms have been developed for securing the edges of a rubber roof membrane in place along the edge of the roof in order to maintain the roofing membrane in position in proximate contact with the underlying roofing support surface. In some applications the rubber membrane may be subjected to significant wind forces causing the rubber membrane to tend to pull away from the surface of the roof. The edge of the roof is especially susceptible to damage from wind shear forces, and, if the edge of a rubber roof membrane were to become detached from the roof, all or a substantial portion of the membrane may be blown off. Moreover, damage often occurs from water entering the building structure, for example by flowing over the edge of the roof and down an outside wall where it may enter the structure and cause damage to the building.
Generally, an upwardly extending water dam is mounted at the edge of the roof and a fascia is mounted over the water dam. The fascia generally also extends downward, parallel to the outside wall of the building. The fascia improves the appearance of the roof edge and further increases resistance to wind-driven rain and wind uplift loads along the roof edge. Unfortunately, existing systems often require non-standard water dams and/or edge fascia which are comprised of a number of complicated parts that are difficult and time consuming to install.
One generally accepted roof edge systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,912,814 and 7,451,572 [Inzeo, et al.] that shows a roof edge clamping system for overlying the roofing membrane, clamping it down and providing a metal fascia at the roof edge to hide the bolts and plates of the clamping members. This system relies entirely upon fasteners to retain the cover in position and does not protect for the vertical penetration of water behind the fascia.
Another system, one that utilizes a type of spring clip to force the roof edge metal fascia upward, is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,578,322 [Kintop]. This system requires both a catch and the spring clip to operate properly and maintain the fascia in the required position. This system is complex to manufacture and just as complex to install on a rooftop. Based upon the number of metal plates, the required bends and folds, and the interrelationships of the various plates and folds, the complex system requires particular attention to positioning on installation. The cover overlying the fastener holding the spring clip in place suffers from the probability of releasing from wind shear along the roof surface without another fastener holding it in position.
Still another edge fascia system using a spring clip is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,023 [Kittilstad]. The Kittilstad system also depends upon a spring clip positioned between the top outward facing corner of the cover and a ridge formed along the inner rear side of the base over which the outer cover plate also fits. This system is subject to probable failure in the event that there is sufficient wind lift and the cover plate lifts away from the base plate ridge or if the cover plate is subjected to sufficient distortion due to damage or careless placement of ladders or walking along the roof edge.
The two roof edge systems using the spring clip both rely upon the cover plate fitting over and holding the spring clip in place. However, the cover plate is not held down and is the second piece of metal curling around or over a raised portion of the base plate that is the sole retaining mechanism for the cover along the entire expanse of the roof edge system. This type of system suffers from the deficiencies noted above with neither system taking full advantage of a spring clip that force the cover plate away from the base plate when fully assembled.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome the previous deficiencies by using a differently positioned spring clip that forces the parts of the roof edge system away from each other, and then retains those parts in that orientation. It is a further object of the present invention to reduce the required time to install the spring clip type roof edge systems by housing the spring clip in a different fold or retaining space that that over which the cover plate is placed. It is yet an additional object to provide a spring clip that produces sufficient upward force to retain the top outer edge of the cover at its farthest outward and upward extent at all times, once fully installed. It is a still further object of the present invention to reduce the time and complexity of installation of the roof edge fascia system through the reconfiguring of the attachment points for the spring clip and cover plate. Other objects will appear hereinafter.